Where do plants and the body meet most profoundly? In this workshop, a circle of renowned herbalists, aromatherapists, and educators will explore the physical realm as sacred ground for healing and presence. Through panel dialogue and hands-on experience, participants will discover how plants nourish, protect, and awaken the body’s innate wisdom.

Featuring Catherine Hunziker (WishGarden Herbs & Herbiculture Project), Liza Docken (Pranarōm), Blaire Edwards-Maschotta (Herbs, Etc.), and Sanja Oropeza (Kevala Wellness & Ayurveda), with moderation by Lauren Nichols-Sheffler (Senior Purchaser of WishGarden Herbs), this session blends science, story, and ritual. Together we will reflect on the body as landscape, the rhythms of nature as teacher, and the ways plants invite us into deeper embodiment of spirit and self.

Catherine Hunziker

Catherine Hunziker is a master herbalist, trained midwife, environmental activist and sustainability expert. After many years of learning plants through personal study, back-to-the-land communities, local herbalists, midwives and master teachers like Michael Moore, she purchased WishGarden Herbs in 1987 from a midwife in Boulder, Colorado. At the time, WishGarden fit in a closet and Catherine has since grown it into a nationally recognized and deeply loved brand. Catherine still owns WishGarden with her family but has stepped away from day to day operations to focus on the HerbiCulture Project. Her mission with this non-profit organization is to support the growth of regenerative, climate-mitigating & diverse medicinal herbs and bring domestic sourcing of botanical raw material home to the US for the blossoming & fast growing natural health & wellness movement.

Liza Docken

Liza Docken is a Certified Aromatherapist and the National Educator for Pranarōm. She has been in the natural products industry for over 25 years. She brings an enthusiastic approach to science-based aromatherapy, maintaining the importance and wonder of plants and the natural world.

Blaire Edwards-Maschotta

Blaire Edwards-Maschotta (they/them) is an experienced Product Developer, Herbalist & Formulator with over a decade in both the herbal and the CPG world. Blaire works with Herbs, Etc. on formulation, new product development, herbalism, sourcing/supply chain, and sustainability. Their passion is finding ways that the herbal industry can be a part of the solution – instead of the problem – to the ecological and societal struggles and disasters facing us today. Blaire has a passion for herbalism for mental health, growing native plants, birding, invasive species removal, reading and history.

Sanja Oropeza

My journey into holistic health began in 2000 with a deep trust in the body’s innate wisdom to heal when nurtured with care and balance. Early training in Eastern and holistic therapies shaped my practice of listening to the body and meeting each client with presence and intuition. In 2010, I turned more fully toward Ayurveda, completing certifications at Kerala Academy of Ayurveda as an Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner and Panchakarma Specialist, later traveling to India for advanced panchakarma study and immersion. Ayurveda felt like a return home—its rituals of self-care, seasonal wisdom, and plant medicine became central to both my personal life and professional path. From this integration, Kevala Body & Botanicals was born: a line of body oils, botanicals, and ritual products crafted to bring Ayurvedic care into everyday life. Today, I guide clients through Panchakarma, seasonal detox, and embodied self-care while also creating offerings that allow people to carry these healing rituals into their own homes. With over 20 years of experience, I’ve found that true healing begins when we slow down, listen deeply, and honor what the body is asking for.

Lauren Nichols-Sheffler

Lauren Ann Nichols-Sheffler is an herbalist rooted in the rhythms of bioregional plants and place-taught wisdom. A graduate of the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, she weaves education, sustainability, and stewardship into all she does—from teaching and community organizing to ethical sourcing. She co-stewards the Denver Herb Club, shares knowledge at CSCH, and hosts public programs at her United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary. At WishGarden Herbs, Lauren serves as Senior Sourcing & Purchasing Manager, where her reverence for plants guides every decision.